Amplified Chicago Blues: The story of how the blues migrated to the north
This weekend is one of the best musical events in Chicago each year. The Millennium Park area will host the 35th annual Chicago Blues Fest. Among the past performers have been Bonnie Raitt, Ray Charles, Buddy Guy, B.B. King and last years headliner, Gary Clark Jr.
There will be more than one hundred acts over three days and will culminate with a performance by Mavis Staples, on Sunday night. One thing all the performers have in common is they have been influenced and owe a debt of gratitude to the original Chicago blues legends.
In the 1940's, there was a migration of southern Blues artists to Chicago. People like Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf and Willie Dixon moved north and brought their music with them. They took the traditional blues sound of Mississippi and amped it up. The Blues became electrified. Their music influenced new artists for generations to come. You can hear the sound in the music of Hendrix, Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones plus all the performers playing this weekend.
A new exhibit, Amplified Chicago Blues, at the Chicago History Museum tells the story of these legendary musicians. The photos of Raeburn Flerlage captured the blues scene. The exhibit runs through August 2019, so there's plenty of time to catch it.
Here's a look at the exhibit in a gallery:
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Related Post: Chicago Blues Fest celebrates Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon
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